Genuine Innovations G2673, AirChuck, Lightweight, Bicycle CO2 Inflator, weight 16g, Black

I bought this inflator about a month ago and yesterday I got my first flat since deciding to carry this Elite Inflator instead of my hand pump. I've had to change/repair MANY flats in the last 3 months and trying to pump a 700c x 23 to 110-130 psi can be exhausting with a small hand pump. Anyway, I went on a short ride to the Metro rail and while riding the train, I noticed my front tire was flat (I checked the tire pressures before I left home @ 120psi). I recently purchased this vintage Nishiki Tri-A and the tires and tubes looked to be over 10 years old. When I dismounted the tire, the old rubber rim strip had split, which I was expecting as I had replaced the rear rim strip awhile back so I carried a new rim strip, new tube, tire levers and my CO2 Inflator w/2 16 gram cylinders. Was in a hurry, so I didn't want to bother with a patch as I didn't have any water nearby and didn't want to use the Inflator to test for the leak, so that is a con for the Inflator. Installed the new strip, installed the new tube and remounted the tire and hit it with the CO2 Inflator. Awesomeness! In 10 seconds, my tire was filled... I didn't use up quite all the gas, but I should have... When I got home, I checked the tire pressure and it was at 110psi, so if I had used every bit of the gas, maybe it would have hit 115psi, certainly within the pressure range of my tires.With my old hand pump, to go from 100 psi to 110 psi takes about 100 pumps and I've often needed a few minutes of rest after pumping up a tire... This inflator works great, it is so much faster and is so convenient and easy to use. I bought a box of 25 cartridges for about $30 which is way less than the bike shops, so it costs me a bit over a buck to fill a new tube with this inflator. For the ease of use it is well worth it in my book! Of course they are so much smaller than a pump as well but I don't know about weight savings as I'm now going to start carrying 3 cylinders with me.I used mine on a Presta valve, but looking at the mouth of the Elite Inflator, it should certainly work with Schrader valves as well. I always carry a daypack so I always bring my tool kit and tire kit, but my little behind the saddle bag can also hold my inflator, 2 cylinders, levers and spare tube.Oh, use the included rubber sleeve as the cylinder gets freezing cold when used.

I love this device! It's easy to operate, great-looking, light and, compared to the inflators that completely enclose the cartridge, extremely small. Place the cover on the cartridge, firmly screw on the inflator, place the inflator on the valve and press! No switches to operate, no twist-to-inflate. Just press to inflate.In early 2012 I stopped to help a rider whose tire had flatted. She said she didn't need my inflator as she had one (also by Genuine Innovations). It was a type that had a valve switch on it. But before attaching the cartridge she had guessed wrong on the proper switch position and all of the CO2 gas vented into the atmosphere. I lent her my Air Chuck Elite to use on her second cartridge and after using it she was totally sold!Some operating tips:--Keep it on the valve for 6 seconds to fully empty the cartridge contents. Don't be timid, jam it on there!--The inflation pressures claimed by Genuine Innovations appear to be wild exaggerations. In warm weather, a 16g cartridge might get a 700x23 tire up to 90psi, depending upon how much tube volume the rim profile permits. In cold weather, perhaps only 75-80psi. Depending upon rider weight that could be sufficient for the front wheel and enough to prevent pinch flats on the rear wheel. In below-freezing weather...it's best to also bring a pump. Note that SRAM only advertises a 100psi inflation result for 700x23 tires for its (larger) 20g cartridges, which I believe is more realistic.--When inflating, positively keep your hand off of the "black dot" at the back of the chuck head. If you apply any force to this dot then you'll be fighting yourself, simultaneously applying force to both the chuck head and the cartridge port (only the latter should be pushed). In other words, place your hand on the cartridge and the conical portion of the chuck head only.UPDATE:--For road cyclists, for air temperatures below 45°F, I recommend packing the 20g cartridges available from SRAM and Genuine Innovations. They're pricey. I swap out the 16g cartridges 20g cartridges in the fall and then re-swap in the spring. I know one road cyclist who packs the 20g size year-round.--I don't often get flats, but I have noticed that I tend to use this device twice to assist other riders with their flats for each time I use it on my own bike. Such is the burden of carrying a CO2 inflator....

My family and I took our dirt bikes up to the mountains of NM. We rode all over the place for three days. On our last day I got a flat on the rear wheel of my bike. I had one of these I with me and I used the 16gram and had plenty enough air to have got me back to the truck. Turns out the hole in the tube must have been pretty sever I ended up using both cartridges trying to get myself back to a road where we could come get the bike with a pickup. Was very impressed with it! It seems to be well made it's a great back up in a case such as this! I liked the fact that it shuts the air flow off so that it doesn't waste what you didn't have to use! Especially in the part of the world I was in! Every bit of the excess was crucial to get the bike off the trail. It's very easy to use. Do put something around it when you discharge it because it gets really cold really quick. Over all I would and have recommended this to everyone that goes off road to the middle of nowhere. It will sure help you get closer to cilvilization and at least you won't have to walk as far! I didn't have a tire gauge with me when I used it I just kind of ran it by feel but it was real close to what I usually run in the tires just by the way it felt. Great pocket tool it's small enough to be easy to take with you anywhere I'd recommend carrying extra cartridges just in case you might need them. I only had the two that it came with and had I been farther out from a road I would have needed more to get back to a road. Thankfully I wasn't too far from the road

Went to use it and leaked co2 from every place except into the valve stem.